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THE VOLANTE.
Vol. VII. JANUARY, 1894. No. 4.
-----
THE MARGIN BETWEEN PROSE AND POETRY.
BY A. R. SKINNER, 95.
Poetry and prose do not seem
to have anything in common, but a
study of the subject reveals several
points of similarity. The same words
can be sung as poetry or written as prose,
but words that are written as poetry are
used generally more loosely than the same
words written as prose. The poet has a
larger margin to work upon. He does not
confine himself to any fixed logical rules of
order and expression, but follows his own
inclinations. The prose writer, on the
other hand, although he may not follow any
set of rules, yet he must not violate certain
rules, or if he does violate them, it should
be only in very rare cases.
Poetic forms admit of archaic words or
words used in a sense generally forgotten,
and also allow the use of adjectives for the
mere sake of beauty. Prose works should
admit nothing of this kind, but should adhere
closely to the logical and to plain common
sense. The picturesque use of adjectives
in poetry is quite admissible, because
the poet aims chiefly at beauty — something
that has not only good sense and profound
thoughts embodied in it, but has also certain
elegance and beauty of form. It is
only in rare cases that prose admits of this
last. The chief office of prose is a logical
presentation of the ideas.
There is another quite marked distinction
between prose and poetry, that is, the difference
in tone. The poet must elevate
himself to a certain height, and by a nervous
tension must sustain this high pitch
throughout the entire piece. It is necessary
that he should not fall from the height he
has taken; if he does, he lowers the tone of
his production. The prose writer can, as
the occasion requires, rise to great heights
and when the thought demands sink to the
ordinary level again. This process seems
quite natural in prose.
There is a margin of identity between poetry
and impassioned, or as it often happens
to be, lyrical prose. This species of prose is
illustrated by many different writers. Perhaps
DeQuincey is as fine a writer of this
kind of prose as anyone. There are passages
of DeQuincey's that have the music and
rhythm of poetry. All that is lacking is
the meter to make it poetry complete. The
following from Joan d'Arc is very pretty and
has a pleasing sound:
"When the mortal mists were gathering
fast upon you, bishop and shepherd girl —
when the pavilions of life were closing up
their shadowy curtains about you — let us
try, through the gigantic glooms, to decipher
the flying features of your separate
visions."
DeQuincey's flights are, to say the least,
very musical and full of poetic beauty. Milton
illustrates both sides of the question; he
was a poet and a prose writer. It is very
difficulty make a choice between his finest
passages in prose and those in poetry; he attains
about the same, if not the same, height
in each. This passage is taken from Paradise
Lost, where Satan is about to battle
with the guardian of the gate of Hell. Milton
says about their frowns—
"Each cast at th' other as when two black clouds
With heav'n's artillery fraught, come rattling on
Over the Caspian, then stand front to front,
Hovering a space, till winds the signal blow
To join their dark encounter in mid air."
This may not be by any means one of the
finest passages in Paradise Lost, but it impresses
me as being something more than
ordinary verse. The following is taken
from the Areopagitaca and compares favorably
with his poetry. It must be admitted
that Milton has attained the same heights,

THE VOLANTE.
Vol. VII. JANUARY, 1894. No. 4.
-----
THE MARGIN BETWEEN PROSE AND POETRY.
BY A. R. SKINNER, 95.
Poetry and prose do not seem
to have anything in common, but a
study of the subject reveals several
points of similarity. The same words
can be sung as poetry or written as prose,
but words that are written as poetry are
used generally more loosely than the same
words written as prose. The poet has a
larger margin to work upon. He does not
confine himself to any fixed logical rules of
order and expression, but follows his own
inclinations. The prose writer, on the
other hand, although he may not follow any
set of rules, yet he must not violate certain
rules, or if he does violate them, it should
be only in very rare cases.
Poetic forms admit of archaic words or
words used in a sense generally forgotten,
and also allow the use of adjectives for the
mere sake of beauty. Prose works should
admit nothing of this kind, but should adhere
closely to the logical and to plain common
sense. The picturesque use of adjectives
in poetry is quite admissible, because
the poet aims chiefly at beauty — something
that has not only good sense and profound
thoughts embodied in it, but has also certain
elegance and beauty of form. It is
only in rare cases that prose admits of this
last. The chief office of prose is a logical
presentation of the ideas.
There is another quite marked distinction
between prose and poetry, that is, the difference
in tone. The poet must elevate
himself to a certain height, and by a nervous
tension must sustain this high pitch
throughout the entire piece. It is necessary
that he should not fall from the height he
has taken; if he does, he lowers the tone of
his production. The prose writer can, as
the occasion requires, rise to great heights
and when the thought demands sink to the
ordinary level again. This process seems
quite natural in prose.
There is a margin of identity between poetry
and impassioned, or as it often happens
to be, lyrical prose. This species of prose is
illustrated by many different writers. Perhaps
DeQuincey is as fine a writer of this
kind of prose as anyone. There are passages
of DeQuincey's that have the music and
rhythm of poetry. All that is lacking is
the meter to make it poetry complete. The
following from Joan d'Arc is very pretty and
has a pleasing sound:
"When the mortal mists were gathering
fast upon you, bishop and shepherd girl —
when the pavilions of life were closing up
their shadowy curtains about you — let us
try, through the gigantic glooms, to decipher
the flying features of your separate
visions."
DeQuincey's flights are, to say the least,
very musical and full of poetic beauty. Milton
illustrates both sides of the question; he
was a poet and a prose writer. It is very
difficulty make a choice between his finest
passages in prose and those in poetry; he attains
about the same, if not the same, height
in each. This passage is taken from Paradise
Lost, where Satan is about to battle
with the guardian of the gate of Hell. Milton
says about their frowns—
"Each cast at th' other as when two black clouds
With heav'n's artillery fraught, come rattling on
Over the Caspian, then stand front to front,
Hovering a space, till winds the signal blow
To join their dark encounter in mid air."
This may not be by any means one of the
finest passages in Paradise Lost, but it impresses
me as being something more than
ordinary verse. The following is taken
from the Areopagitaca and compares favorably
with his poetry. It must be admitted
that Milton has attained the same heights,